1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pin connector, a holder for holding such a pin connector, and an electronic component packaging board for mounting an electronic component thereon, and more particularly to the structure of an electronic component packaging board suitable for mounting thereon an electronic component such as a device socket by which a semiconductor device can detachably be supported.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has heretofore been well known in the art to mount a device socket by which a semiconductor device can detachably be supported, on a packaging board in a semiconductor device testing apparatus for measuring operating conditions of the semiconductor device support by the device socket.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a conventional electronic component packaging board for soldering an electronic component thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, a packaging board 1 has a plurality of through holes 4 for inserting therein external leads 3 of a device socket 2 as an electronic component. When the external leads 3 are inserted into the through holes 4 and soldered thereto, the device socket 2 is electrically connected to patterns on the packaging board 1. The device socket 2 supports a semiconductor device 5 thereon which has external leads electrically connected respectively to the external leads 3 by contact elements 6.
FIG. 2(a) of the accompanying drawings shows another conventional electronic component packaging board to which an electronic component is detachably attached. FIG. 2(b) of the accompanying drawings is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a small-size socket on the conventional electronic component packaging board shown in FIG. 2(a), and FIG. 2(c) of the accompanying drawings is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of another small-size socket which may be used on the conventional electronic component packaging board. Although not shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), the conventional electronic component packaging board shown in FIG. 2(a) has a plurality of small-size sockets.
As shown in FIG. 2(a), an electronic component packaging board 7 has a plurality of through holes defined therein at positions in alignment with external leads 3 of a device socket 2, and a plurality of small-size sockets 8 inserted and secured in the respective through holes. The electronic component packaging board 7 allows the device socket 2 to be electrically connected to patterns on the electronic component packaging board 7 simply when the external leads 3 are inserted into the respective small-size sockets 8. The inserted external leads 3 can easily be pulled out of the respective small-size sockets 8.
As shown in FIG. 2(b), each of the small-size sockets 8 comprises a tubular sleeve 10 inserted in a through hole 9 defined in the electronic component packaging board 7 and a contact 11 mounted in the tubular sleeve 10 for exerting resilient forces radially of the tubular sleeve 10. As shown in FIG. 2(c), each of the small-size sockets 8 may comprise a tubular sleeve 10 having a tip end portion inserted in the through hole 9 defined in the electronic component packaging board 7 and having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of a portion of the tubular sleeve 10 which houses a contact 11 therein. The portion of the tubular sleeve 10 which houses the contact 11 therein projects largely from the electronic component packaging board 7.
The electronic component packaging board 7 shown in FIGS. 2(a) through 2(c) suffers the following disadvantages:
If each of the small-size sockets 8 for holding the device socket 2 detachably is of the structure shown in FIG. 2(b), then the spacing between the small-size sockets 8 on the electronic component packaging board 7 cannot be reduced because of required distances to be kept between adjacent ones of the through holes. Reducing the spacing between the small-size sockets 8 requires the diameter of the sleeve 10 to be reduced, but there is a certain limitation on the reduction of the diameter of the external leads 3 which are inserted in the sleeves 10. The structure shown in FIG. 2(b), therefore, does not permit the external leads of an electronic component for use on the device socket 2 to be reduced in pitch.
On the other hand, if each of the small-size sockets 8 for holding the device socket 2 replaceably is of the structure shown in FIG. 2(c), then it is possible to reduce the diameter of the through holes for inserting the small-size sockets 8 therein. The reduced diameter of the through holes allows the adjacent small-size sockets 8 to be positioned closely to each other, so that the small-size sockets 8 can be spaced closely on the electronic component packaging board 7. However, since the portion of the tubular sleeve 10 which houses the contact 11 therein projects largely from the electronic component packaging board 7, the distance over which the external leads 3 of the device socket 2 are electrically connected to the through holes in the electronic component packaging board 7 is large.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic component packaging board which allows an electric component mounted thereon to be replaced easily, permits external leads of an electric component to be spaced a reduced pitch, and can be electrically connected to an electric component over a short distance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pin connector for use in such an electronic component packaging board.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pin connector holder for holding such a pin connector highly accurately in position.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pin connector comprising a metallic slender sleeve, an outer contact bent outwardly from at least a portion of a side wall of the metallic slender sleeve, and an inner contact bent inwardly from at least a portion of a side wall of the metallic slender sleeve, the outer contact and the inner contact being resilient radially of the metallic slender sleeve. The metallic slender sleeve may have a contact region including the outer contact and the inner contact, a lead extending from the contact region, and a sealed portion disposed between the contact region and the lead.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a pin connector holder for holding a plurality of pin connectors each according to the first aspect of the present invention, having a plurality of through holes for being electrically connected to the outer contacts of the pin connectors, the through holes being positioned to keep the pin connectors spaced at a relatively small pitch.
The pin connectors may be inserted and held in the through holes and have end portions projecting from the through holes and fixed in position by a viscous adhesive.
The pin connector holder may further comprise a fixing member having a plurality of holes which receive the end portions projecting from the through holes, the end portions being fixed to the fixing member in the holes therein. It is preferable to employ a positioning structure by which the end portions projecting from the through holes and the holes in the fixing member are positioned with respect to each other.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is further provided an electronic component packaging board for supporting a pin connector according to the first aspect of the invention, comprising a board having a through hole defined therein in alignment with an external lead of an electronic component, the pin connector being inserted and held in the through hole. The pin connector may have an end portion projecting from the through hole and fixed to a land of the through hole.
The electronic component packaging board may further comprise another board disposed in confronting relation to the board and having a hole defined therein, the end portion projecting from the through hole being fixed to the other board in the hole.
The electronic component packaging board may further comprise a pin mounted on the other board for positioning the pin connector inserted in the through hole with respect to the hole in the other board, the board having a hole in which the pin is fitted.
The electronic component may comprise a device socket for supporting a semiconductor device detachably.
As described above, the pin connector according to the present invention has an outer contact bent outwardly from at least a portion of a side wall of a metallic slender sleeve and an inner contact bent inwardly from at least a portion of a side wall of the metallic slender sleeve. The outer contact and the inner contact are resilient radially of the metallic slender sleeve. The electronic component packaging board according to the present invention has a through hole defined therein in alignment with an external lead of an electronic component, and the pin connector is inserted and held in the through hole.
The electronic component packaging board thus constructed allows an electronic component such as a device socket to be easily replaced. Because the through hole in the electronic component packaging board is used as a socket for the pin connector, the pitch of external leads of the electronic component may be reduced, and the external lead may be electrically connected to the through hole over a short distance.
The pin connector which comprises a slender sleeve is formed by rounding a flat sheet, and hence has a gap along its seam. If the pin connector were soldered to the through hole, then the solder would be introduced through the gap into the pin connector, preventing the pin connector from receiving the external lead. To solve such a problem, the end portion of the pin connector which projects from the through hole in the board is inserted in a hole defined in a fixed member and soldered to the fixing member in the hole. Alternatively, the pin connector may be fixed directly to the board by a highly viscous adhesive rather than solder. When the end portion of the pin connector is fixed to the fixing member, a positioning structure such as a pin may be used to position the end portion of the pin connector easily with respect to the hole in the fixing member.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with references to the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples of the present invention.